Contingencies and commitments - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions				1 Months Ended									4 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		45 Months Ended
	Feb. 01, 2024 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2023 USD ($) Cases	Jul. 29, 2022 a People Structure	Aug. 05, 2024 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2024 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2024 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2024 USD ($) Plaintiff	Jan. 31, 2024 USD ($) Plaintiff	Sep. 30, 2023 Trial	Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($) Wildfire	Apr. 30, 2023 Plaintiff	Sep. 30, 2020 a Structure	Jul. 31, 2024 Plaintiff Complaint	Jun. 30, 2024 USD ($) Cases	Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2024 USD ($)
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount														$ 3,000
Estimated pre-tax probable loss					$ 2,700									2,700		$ 2,700
Legal settlements amount paid																775
Unpaid estimated liability					1,900									1,900		1,900
Settlement payments to be paid														199
Accrued losses														251	$ 541
Expected insurance recoveries					534					$ 133				534	$ 133	$ 534
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Legal settlements amount paid				$ 246
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2022 Wildfire [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of structures destroyed | Structure			185
Number of structures damaged | Structure			11
Number of injuries in wildfire | People			12
Number of fatalities in wildfire | People			4
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff											17
Number of wildfires associated to complaints | Wildfire										4
Loss contingency, sought amount														43,000
Loss contingency, awarded value								$ 92		$ 90
Multiplier used to determine economic and non-economic damages										0.25
Loss contingency, accrual interest rate								9.00%
Loss contingency, number of trials | Trial									3
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff													1,443
Number of complaints | Complaint													4
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Commercial Timber Plaintiffs [Member] | Settled Litigation [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff							5
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value										$ 4
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value										68
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court [Member] | Punitive Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value										$ 18
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff								9
Loss contingency, awarded value	$ 84					$ 80		$ 62
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value	6							6
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value								$ 56
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court First Trial [Member] | Punitive Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value	$ 16
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Second Trial [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff							10
Loss contingency, awarded value					$ 38		$ 42
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Second Trial [Member] | Economic Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value							12
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | James Case Multnomah County Circuit Court Second Trial [Member] | Noneconomic and Punitive Damages [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value							$ 30
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Cases [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, sought amount														$ 9,000
Number of cases | Cases														2
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Burnett Case [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, awarded value		$ 1,800
Litigation settlement, scheduled payments term						4 years
Settlement payments to be paid						$ 250
Number of cases | Cases		1
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | Minimum [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of acres aggregate of wildfire | a												500,000
Number of structures destroyed | Structure												2,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | Minimum [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2022 Wildfire [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of acres aggregate of wildfire | a			60,000
Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Percentage of subsidiary ownership					92.00%									92.00%		92.00%